A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to eye wash stations and sink faucets, and, more particularly to an integrated eye wash and sink faucet.
B. Description of the Related Art
Emergency eye wash stations are required for employee safety in laboratories, factories, and warehouses where employees handle corrosive materials that may injure their eyes. Eye wash stations are also required in dentist offices. It is highly desirable that such eye wash stations be placed in an easily accessible location, and that the travel time to the eye wash station be limited and unobstructed.
Conventional eye wash stations provide water sprays from regular plant plumbing connections to a pair of spray nozzles. Upon activating the water flow, the water from the plant plumbing is fed to the spray nozzles to cause a spray of water from the nozzles. Such conventional eye wash stations typically require significant floor space that could be dedicated to factory tooling, making these eye wash stations undesirable.
On solution to this problem proposed by the related art is to provide eye wash attachments to existing sink faucets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,518 describes a device with a rubber boot at one end and eye wash outlets at the other that can be attached to any existing faucet to convert the faucet into an eye wash station. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,688,276 and 4,675,924 both disclose an eye wash attachment for a gooseneck faucet. A diverter valve enables transfer of faucet water (both hot and cold) to the attached eye wash nozzles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,829 discloses a dual faucet and eye wash arrangement wherein the eye wash rotates, diverting the faucet water (both hot and cold) from the faucet to the eye wash nozzles.
Unfortunately, none of these references discloses providing separate water supplies in a single faucet assembly, one for the sink faucet and one for the eye wash. Rather, these references disclose eye wash attachments that divert the water normally supplied to the sink faucet. Conventional water supplies for sink faucets provide both hot and cold water to the faucet. Thus, when such water supplies are diverted to the eye wash attachments disclosed in the related art, there is the potential for scalding of the eyes if the water is too hot.
Thus there exists a need in the art for an integrated eye wash and sink faucet that uses a separate cold water supply for the eye wash, prevents scalding to the eyes, occupies minimal space, and replaces existing sink faucets.
An object of the invention is to provide an integrated eye wash and sink faucet that uses an instantly-dedicated, separate cold water supply for the eye wash portion of the faucet.
A further object of the invention is to provide an integrated eye wash and sink faucet that prevents scalding to the eyes when the eye wash portion of the faucet is in use.
Another object of the invention is to provide an integrated eye wash and sink faucet that saves space by not taking up additional counter space.
A final object of the invention is to provide an integrated eye wash and sink faucet that can be used to replace existing sink faucets.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be learned from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention comprises an integrated eye wash and sink faucet connected to cold and hot water supplies. The integrated eye wash and sink faucet includes a valve having a body with first and second openings provided therein, and a spindle having an arm integrally connected to a chamber, wherein the spindle is slidably provided in the valve body. The first opening of the valve body is in controlled fluid communication with the cold and hot water supplies, wherein the second opening of the valve body is in fluid communication with the cold water supply when the spindle chamber is provided at a predetermined location of the valve body. The integrated eye wash and sink faucet further includes a sink faucet integrally formed with the valve body and in fluid communication with the cold and hot water supplies via the first opening of the valve body. Finally, the integrated eye wash and sink faucet includes at least one eye wash spray nozzle connected to the valve body and in fluid communication with the cold water supply, via the second opening of the valve body, when the spindle chamber second opening is provided at the predetermined location of the valve body.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.